Tag Archive: Death

Job initially makes a good point.. thus far his friends stand by the belief that evil people get punished by God, therefore people who are sick like Job must have been evil. But Job points out that not all evil people suffer, some die quite comfortably, placed in fancy graves and honored for things they didn’t do. It’s certainly our human desire that the evil get what they have coming to them, that they die a horrible death… but that doesn’t always happen it just doesn’t.

After Eliphaz is done taking his pot-shots at Job, I totally disagree when he says “[God] roams the heavens wrapped in clouds how can He see us?” But then suddenly he starts to sound really familiar… it’s essentially repent and you will be healed. I am suddenly reminded of a T V evangelist. Job 21-30 gave me chills… and I’m trying to sort out why. It’s like it’s half right, “right-ish” and I want this guy to be just plain WRONG… This story though is making a good point. First off Eliphaz is wrong about Job and God… God knows Job, loves Job and cares about Job. Job isn’t being punished for any of his wrong doings so telling Job to “come to terms with God… and let God clean out the evil” isn’t going to work. Even though what Eliphaz is saying seems to make sense and one could even argue you see a smidgen of care involved in the words, Eliphaz is wrong. Life is not that simple. God’s love is simple, salvation is simple, but life circumstances isn’t. An Evil man dying of cancer who repents before God during his last moments on earth will likely still die a painful death, but will live with God in eternity. I dare say Eliphaz wouldn’t like THAT reality. Not many of us do, but I stand in awe of it… the depth of love that comes from our God.

Repent and you may be healed, but you get even better, an eternal life serving The Lord. Everyone dies, a lot of us suffer during our lifetime. There are times God allows pain and times God takes it away. I do not pretend to understand the why to it. I do know this, God asks us live life with what we have to the fullest. In order to do that we have to seek him as Job does, to the North, South, East, West. We come to Him, and He will take us seriously. Sometimes God heals, Sometimes he doesn’t. In either case we can still honor Him and trust Him. He knows the bigger picture.

Verse 14: “If we humans die will we live again?Thant’s my question. All through these difficult days I keep hoping, waiting for the final change–for resurrection!…(then later around vs 16) You’ll watch over every step I take, but you won’t keep track of my missteps. My sins will be stuffed in a sack and thrown into the sea– sunk in deep ocean.”

These verses really stood out to me.. I just looked it over in NIV and it’s not quite as obvious, but I think this is my earliest (chronologically) glimpse of salvation… Job suddenly through his pain sees the need and the design for life after death and how that can become possible. In verse 14 The Message actually uses the word resurrection, NIV calls it renewal. God set the concept of eternity in our souls… there is more to life than life here on earth. Job really ponders this, and by golly the man gets it.. for a fleeting moment.

I remember my great-grandmother GG.. a few months before she died. I’ve thought of this moment a lot while reading Job. GG was ready to die… and with tears in her eyes she told me she was ready, almost desperate for death. She was in her 80s, her husband had passed away a few years earlier. The time was near and she longed for it, an end to pain. I saw her once more before she died, while she was dying. It had come, then end, what she desired most, and she seemed peaceful because of that.

Job knows nothing of life after death, he desires death, yet takes the time to hope and question, “If we die, will we live again?”

Then this says it so well: “Homesick with longing for the creature you made, You’ll call and I’ll answer!” Yes.. this is what I long for in death.. God’s call, and I’ll answer! Thanks Job for that image of The Lord Homesick for me, calling me!